World Jewish Congress Meets with Argentinian Jewish Leaders

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The World Jewish Congress hosted a special meeting with the leadership of the Argentinian Jewish community and its main representative bodies. The special guests included the president of the AMIA, Angel Barman, the president of the DAIA, Aldo Donzis, and Sergio Burstein, the president of Relatives and Friends of Victims of the AMIA Bombing, and other members of these organizations. The representatives came to New York with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina who discussed the issue of terrorism during her speech at the United Nations. Since the horrific terrorist attack in July of 1994 during which the Jewish Community Center that housed the AMIA sustained the deaths of 85 people and 300 injured, the Jewish community has been pressing its government and the international community to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous attack. Eight culprits directly connected to high level officials in Iran have been issued Red Notices by Interpol for their roles in this bombing, yet they continue to evade justice.

During her speech at the UN, President Kirchner condemned terrorism in the strongest possible terms and called upon Iran to follow through on its offer to assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice. One of the culprits is the Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who, despite his having been issued a Red Notice, has been able to travel freely between some South American countries. To the dismay of the Jewish community, Vahidi traveled to Bolivia and was not apprehended, on the pretext of diplomatic immunity. The community has since asked for the creation of a body that would re-consider diplomatic immunity in cases of known criminals.

Evelyn Sommer, Chairman of World Jewish Congress, North America, said, " The World Jewish Congress has stood by and continues to support the Jewish community of Argentina in all its representations and continues to strive to pressure those international bodies that can help bring the perpetrators of the terrorist bombings of the AMIA and the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires to justice. We will not abide the complacence of the international community that will allow this vicious act of mass murder to go unpunished. The international terrorists who bombed the AMIA and the Israeli embassy are those financed and fostered by Iran, the world's foremost supporter of terrorism, and should not be allowed to leave victims in their wake around the world with impunity. The World Jewish Congress will continue to seek the apprehension of the eight culprits who committed the bombing without concessions or compromise. We cannot allow the tragic loss of so many to this Jewish community to go unpunished."